Celebration!
by MayzyGreen
Summary: Response to the UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge.  A string of drabbles celebrating the love of Serena and Darien.
1. Cake

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Author's Note: Hey boys and girls, this is my second series of Sailor Moon drabbles, the first being my –cough, cough- _unfinished _**Signs of Affection**. This one, unlike that last, will be much shorter and the drabbles completely unrelated to one another. These are my entries in the UsakoMamoru LiveJournal group's 2nd Anniversary Challenge (go look it up on livejournal(dot)com). Wish me luck and enjoy!

**Celebration!**

UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge

Danika Lareyna

One – Cake 

Darien muttered under his breath as he sped through traffic. Usually, riding his motorcycle helped him clear his mind and relax, but today had been a Murphy's Law sort of day- anything that could have gone wrong, did. Darien, who usually exemplified foresight and level-headedness, found himself completely unprepared to deal with the string of minor disasters.

Bad lucked seemed to target him from the very moment he opened his eyes that morning and discovered that he had knocked his alarm clock off the table in his sleep and he was late for his first class. In his rush to get to the University, he had forgotten the notebook containing his homework assignment for his second class and his calculator. The bus was out of the question and he had apparently left the headlights of his car on when he had arrived home the previous night, draining the battery, so he was forced to take his motorcycle to school.

He had been berated by no less than four professors, an experience he had never endured in all of his previous years of schooling. He had been forced to skip lunch to run home and pick up the missing homework assignment. He had nearly broken his leg when, rushing about like a chicken with his head cut off, he had missed a step coming out of the Student Union. And he had… had… What was that sound?

Ten minutes later, as Darien pulled into a parking spot behind the Crown Game Center, he added the final item to his list of woes. He had been pulled over for speeding in his haste to get away from the University and to a decent cup of coffee. Oh man, how he needed a decent cup of coffee.

With the weight of his book bag and helmet dragging at him like a thousand pounds, Darien trudged into the Crown, already mentally rehearsing the indignant rant he would unleash on the arcade manager. Andrew, his best friend, was always a good ear for Darien's tirades.

So engrossed was he in enumerating his troubles, Darien did not notice the balloons and crepe paper until a hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. Glancing around, he was disturbed to notice that a giant bottle of Pepto Bismol seemed to have exploded in the building- _everything_ was covered in pink. "Sorry, Darien," Andrew said, tucking his hands back in his apron pockets. "The whole place has been rented out for a private party today."

The dark-haired man blinked in disbelief. Could this day get any worse? "I thought you didn't do that sort of thing!" he exclaimed.

Andrew shrugged and tilted his head towards the back of the room. "In this case, we made an exception."

Following his friend's indication, Darien glanced towards the booths that lined the window. A familiar group of teenaged girls were laughing rambunctiously, all wearing pink, paper hats. A large sign hung over their heads, reading, "Happy Sweet Sixteen!" Darien groaned. Of course Andrew would not be able to resist _them_. "A birthday party?" he grumbled. "Who-?"

His question was cut off by a very loud, very high-pitched squeal. "Darien!" Before the man could turn to acknowledge the greeting, he was plowed into and thin, yet somehow surprisingly strong, arms caught him around the middle in an enthusiastic hug. Long hair floated around him and a pair of unbelievably blue eyes met his gaze. "Did you come to wish me happy birthday?"

For perhaps the first time in his life, words failed him.

When it became clear that he was not going to answer, Serena's brows drew down in confusion. With her pale hands still buried in the back of his jacket, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Darien blinked, finally snapping out of his momentary stupor. "I thought you were supposed to hate me," he replied.

Serena blushed and released him as Andrew chuckled. Placing an affectionate hand on the young woman's head, the arcade manager said, "You'll have to excuse Serena. I think she's had a bit too much sugar."

Feeling that he definitely needed to make up for his brief stupefaction, Darien arched a brow and drawled, "Really? I would have thought she would be immune to that, by now."

Rather than turning a fetching shade of furious red, as she usually would when he taunted her, Serena giggled wildly. In the midst of her laughter, she managed to gasp, "It's funny because I eat so many sweets!" Darien and Andrew exchanged a bemused glance.

He waited a moment, but it did not seem that Serena's giggles were going to stop anytime soon. Still feeling a bit cranky about the whole matter, Darien shot Andrew a dirty look and muttered, "Well, I guess I'll head home then. Have fun with your party."

Quite suddenly, Serena's laughter cut off. "Oh wait!" she exclaimed, turning around and dashing towards her friends. Darien frowned and considered sneaking out while she was not looking. He would never admit it aloud, but he was rather unsettled by Serena's friendly attention. It sent curious waves of emotion through him that he really would rather not examine. But let it not be said that Darien Shields was a coward and, when the girl returned a moment later, he was waiting.

"Here!" she exclaimed, pushing something into his hands. "Take this home with you for later!" She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling. Darien glanced down. She had given him a paper plate (pink, of course) holding a large slice of chocolate cake covered in thick, white frosting with rainbow sprinkles.

Surprised, he said, "You're giving me a slice of your birthday cake?"

Laughing happily, Serena said, "Silly Darien. Cake is like love- it should be shared with everyone!" Without another word, she twirled on her heel and headed back to the party, swiftly to be engulfed by the rest of the giggling partygoers.

Andrew chortled, earning himself another frown from his friend. Grumbling about sugar-high teens and a sad lack of coffee in the word, Darien said goodbye to the blond man. Before heading back outside, he took one last glance around the arcade. It seemed to him that all of the pink in the entire world must have congregated in that room to celebrate the Meatball Head's birthday. There could not possibly be any left over elsewhere. Shuddering, he stepped out onto the sidewalk.

As he left headed for his motorcycle, Darien examined the saccharine treat. How was he going to get it home on his bike? "Cake is like love…" he mused.

Perhaps it was not such a terrible day, after all.


	2. Inner Senshi

**Celebration!**

UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge

Danika Lareyna

_Inner Senshi_

"You let her go," Sailor Venus said, without looking up.

Sailor Jupiter slid the door closed behind her and flopped heavily onto the pristine, white couch. She did not bother to respond, it had not been a question. Shame-faced, she pulled a pillow to her chest, curling herself around it, rather than meeting the gaze of her companions.

The room was large and circular. Five doors branched from it at equal intervals, one each leading to their bedrooms and one, the one through which she had just entered, leading to a corridor. A door at the other end of that hallway led to the quarters of the Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium, the young woman that Sailor Jupiter and the other Inner Senshi had been sworn from birth to protect.

The young woman who regularly managed to 'sneak' past her guardians to rendezvous with the Prince of Earth.

Sailor Mars let out a growl of wordless frustration and the end table next to her chair started to smolder. Jupiter felt a flush rise in her face, clearly hearing the unspoken accusation.

"Calm yourself," Venus said, sternly, "We have all done the same, many times." Mercury quietly reached over to lay her gloved hand on the smoking piece of furniture. Beneath the blue-haired maiden's touch, the table quickly returned to it normal temperature. Mars muttered her thanks. It would not have been the first time her temper had necessitated new furniture in their shared sitting room.

A heavy silence filled the space between them as the women, little more than girls themselves, contemplated their failed duty. At last, their leader spoke once more. "Why do we keep doing this? Why can we not keep her from this folly?"

The four guardians exchanged a glance, all keenly aware of their own blame. At last, the most soft-spoken of them whispered, "She loves him."

Jupiter nodded her agreement with Sailor Mercury's statement and, giving the pillow in her arms a vicious squeeze, added, "And he loves her."

Crossing her arms and glowering into space, Mars muttered, "And we cannot deny her happiness."

Four sets of eyes, old beyond their years, simultaneously turned to stare at the glowing, blue form of the Earth, shining like a jewel in the night sky over their heads. The unspoken question hung in the air between them and, despite their combined resources, they could find no answer.

_At what cost?_


	3. Body

**Celebration!**

UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge

Danika Lareyna

_Body_

"I'm fat!" Serena proclaimed.

Darien fastened the top button of his shirt. "You are not fat," he informed her, reaching for his jacket. "Though how you manage that, given the amount of sweets you consume, is beyond my comprehension."

Serena glowered at him in the full-length mirror. "You are my husband," she said, her tone petulant, "You are supposed to agree with everything I say."

He stood from the bed, arching an eyebrow and giving her an amused smirk. "I am?" he asked. "I don't recall agreeing to that."

Sniffing primly, she crossed her arms. "It's an unwritten rule of marriage," she said. "Everyone knows that. When I say something, you nod and say, 'Yes, Dear.'"

Chuckling, Darien moved behind his wife, loosely draping his arms around her shoulders. "Yes, Dear," he said, "Except for two things." He paused a moment, studying her reflection, clad only in pale blue panties and bra, while she gazed at him curiously. "First," he said, reaching up to lightly tap the end of her nose, "If I _did_ agree with you, you'd only cry and be angrier at me than you are now." Serena flushed, opening her mouth to argue, but Darien continued without giving her a chance. "Second," he said, resting his chin lightly on the top of her blonde head and giving her a roguish grin, "I refuse to lie to you."

Serena pouted. "But I _am_ fat," she said. "Look at these flabby arms!"

The young woman began flapping said appendages as if attempting to obtain flight, until her husband deftly caught one waving hand and brought it to his lips. Allowing his breath to play lightly over the backs of her knuckles, he said, "That's muscle, Kitten. How many lives have you saved with these arms?"

She hesitated a moment, her eyes threatening to drift dreamily closed. Remembering her purpose, though, she whined, "I am _too_ fat. Look at these hips!"

Darien's free hand glided down to brush her hip, his hands warm through the thin material of her panties. "I happen to _like_ these hips," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her in the mirror.

She blushed (he loved that she still did that) and, almost desperately, exclaimed, "Ok, but what about this tummy?!"

Maintaining his tender grip on her hand, Darien moved around to kneel before his young wife. "Serena," he said, keeping her pale, blue gaze locked on his own, "This tummy is currently occupied growing the body of our daughter." He leaned forward and pressed a feather-light kiss on her greatly protruding belly. "And, right now, it is my favorite part of all."


	4. Frustration

**Celebration!**

UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge

Danika Lareyna

_Frustration_

He groaned, burying his head in his hands. A mountain of paperwork threatened to avalanche down on him from all sides as he heavily lowered his elbows to the desktop. "What kind of _idiot_ would be stupid enough to want to be King of the entire Earth?" he moaned, one of many treaties dislodging itself from the stacks to flutter gently down and land atop his bowed head.

"As I recall," his wife said, gliding up behind him to pluck the paper out of his hair, "You have been complaining about our fate since we first learned of it, over a thousand years ago."

He tilted his head just enough to see long strands of her shining, gold locks in his peripheral vision. "And yet, here I am," he muttered.

She smiled and brushed his ear with a soft kiss. "Destiny has always been a harsh mistress; you know that as well as anyone." The Earth's beautiful Queen nudged him until he was sitting up straight again and lightly lowered herself onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gazed up at him, pride and adoration clear in her crystalline eyes. "And anyway, no one would trust a man that actually sought the duty."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his hands in the cloud-like folds of her long gown. Even after all these centuries, he was still amazed to think that this angel could possibly belong to him. She giggled musically as he pressed a kiss to the base of her neck. "Promise me you'll stay with me?" he murmured against her soft skin.

"Until the end of time," she replied, burying her hand in his dark hair.

"And you'll give me kisses when the frustrations of the crown get to be too much?" he asked.

"And more," she purred into his ear.

Endymion grinned, leaning his forehead against hers. "Well then, I suppose I will survive."

Just before his lips met hers, Serenity murmured, "See? Fate is not so cruel, after all."


	5. Wedding

**Celebration!**

UsakoMamoru Second Anniversary Challenge

Danika Lareyna

_Wedding_

This was it. This was the moment. Destiny. She had been training for weeks. Nothing and no one would get in her way now. A glint of determination lit Serena's eye. Behind her, any number of other unwed females tensed; high heels clicking with fierce determination on the sidewalk, manicured hands clenching in anticipation. She ignored them. This was _her _moment.

That bouquet had one name written on it, and that name was Serena Tsukino.

She would catch it, present it to Darien, and maybe, just maybe, the bloody man would get a clue.

The bride tossed the flowers over her shoulder. They arched, almost in slow motion, through the air. No woman within twenty feet dared to breath. No, they were going too far! She would never catch them now! Down, down, down they tumbled...

...into the surprised hands of Darien, who had been standing to the far left of the group, paying no attention whatsoever to the proceedings.

Serena's eyes glittered. That worked, too.

* * *

Note:

Everyone please go check out the absolutely fabulous drawing **PallasStar** made of Neo-King Endymion from my previous drabble, _Frustration. _The link is at the bottom of my profile. I'm so tickled pink!!


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